Judge O’Neill sentenced Kirk to nine years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. Kirk will be required to register as a sex offender and his access to minors, computers, and the Internet will be restricted.

Kirk pleaded guilty on September 23, 2013, and he was remanded into custody on that date. According to court documents, between March 9, 2006 and March 13, 2006, Kirk knowingly received more than 600 images of child pornography in Kern County. Many of the images depicted prepubescent minors, and some involved violence or sadistic or masochistic conduct or abuse.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Offices in Bakersfield; Detroit, Michigan; Albany, New York; and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Assistant United States Attorney David Gappa prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Click on the “Resources” tab for information about Internet safety.